Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-wxvwp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-13T19:23:05.736Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prevalence and course of depression in cognitively intact and cognitively impaired nursing home residents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2014

K McSweeney and
D O'Connor
K McSweeney
Affiliation:
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
D O'Connor
Affiliation:
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Information

Type
Abstracts from ‘Brainwaves’— The Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research Annual Meeting 2006, 6–8 December, Sydney, Australia
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 18 , Issue 6 , December 2006, pp. 299
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 Blackwell Munksgaard

Background:

This research investigated the prevalence and course of depression in newly admitted nursing home residents. Representing a departure from the majority of prior research, consecutive admissions were recruited into the study, irrespective of cognitive status. This enabled a comparison of the prevalence and course of depression experienced by cognitively intact residents and those exhibiting all levels of cognitive impairment.

Methods:

Depression was assessed at 1, 3 and 6 months postadmission. The assessment entailed the conduct of a semistructured clinical interview, which allowed for the provision of DSM-IV diagnoses and the scoring of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia.

Results:

Participants were 51 newly admitted residents, drawn from six nursing homes. At admission, nearly 25% of residents were diagnosed with major depression (MD), and a further 20% evidenced a nonmajor depressive disorder. At the second and third assessments, MD was observed in 14% and 15% of residents, respectively. Of particular interest, only the cognitively impaired were diagnosed with MD during the study. For residents who completed all three assessments, there was no appreciable change in the levels of depression apparent.

Conclusions:

The current study showed that a great many nursing home residents experience severe depressions that are unlikely to remit spontaneously. Most often, these residents exhibited pronounced cognitive impairment. Accordingly, care staff and GPs must be trained in the identification of depression in dementia, and any interventions implemented in these facilities should be tailored to meet the unique needs of this group.